


Promises Broken, And Some Hearts, Too

by FruHallbera



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Happy Ending, Force-Sensitive Hux, Idiots in Love, Inappropriate Use of the Force, M/M, Mutual Masturbation, Oral Sex, Sort Of, Tumblr Prompt, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-23
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2019-05-27 08:30:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15020690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FruHallbera/pseuds/FruHallbera
Summary: Tumblr prompt: Rey accidentally force-Skypes Kylo while he and Hux are taking a post-coital shower together. (Bonus points if Hux can see her too for some reason and he freaks out!!)Hux sees Rey, and flies into jealous rage. Ren predictably overreacts and nearly manages to ruin everything.Please note the upgraded rating and tags for chapter 2.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Once again I started out with something silly in mind, but the characters disagreed.

He really, really could not help it. Hux was just _there_ , warm and relaxed and humming with satisfaction. Not out loud, but Kylo could feel his contentment vibrating on a cellular level, filling the very air of the shower cubicle with a low hum which nearly drowned out the sound of the water. Kylo wrapped his hands around the smaller frame of the redhead and leaned down for a thorough kiss. The hum faltered for a second, but soon kicked into a higher gear, the sound resonating somewhere deep within Kylo. He grinned against Hux’s lips, which earned him a tug on the hair and slightly more demanding air to the kiss. Now there was no stopping the laughter building up and making its way out.

“For a Dark Force user, you certainly can be an awfully affectionate man, you know that?”

“Says the stiff military commander, whom I have personally witnessed to be surprisingly eager to follow orders in bed.”

And _that_ earned him a resounding slap on the bottom. Kylo’s laughter only grew louder. Sex had always improved his mood, and sex with Hux was nothing short of exquisite. He felt unstoppable after each tryst, his power over the Force even more focused and concentrated and his mind beyond clear. The side effect was the unhindered joy filling his being, which sometimes left Hux a bit bewildered. He nudged and poked the General until he turned around, and then reached for the shampoo and poured a fair amount on his hand. He used his free hand to gently tilt Hux’s head and began to lather the shampoo on his hair. He took his sweet time in working the product in the General’s hair, making sure that he missed nothing, massaging his scalp and then carefully rinsing it off. Hux had almost fallen asleep on his feet and leaned heavily against Kylo’s chest, resting his head on his shoulder.

Kylo grinned wickedly and pinched Hux’s side. The ensuing yelp was worth the inevitable attempt at landing a punch on his face, which Kylo dodged with ease. Kylo grabbed Hux’s forearm, and Hux tried to knee him in the groin after which Kylo forced Hux against the wall and his thigh between Hux’s legs, and the disturbance in the Force had grown to quite a severe level before it tore his attention from Hux’s teeth clamped on his shoulder.

Kylo felt two things happening at the same time. The Force bent and surged around him in an all too familiar and yet disturbing way, and Hux’s hum ceased abruptly as he lifted his head, stiffened and - there really, really was no other word for it – shrieked.

This could not be happening. Not now. Not here.

“Rey,” he gritted out, reaching out to shut the water off, “now might not be the best of times.” Only then did he realize what had happened and turned to stare at the wide-eyed, furious General beside him. “How can you see her?”

“Can he see me?”

“Who are you and what are you doing here? Get out of here this instant!”

They had all spoken at the same time. For a moment silence reigned, Rey actively trying to look everywhere but in the direction of the shower, her face bright red. Hux moved behind Kylo to salvage what was left of his dignity and was staring at her with unrestrained fury written across his face. Kylo was desperately trying to grab a hold of any of the thoughts flying around in his head. Finally, failing to come up with anything that made sense and noticing how Rey once again wrenched her head upwards after her eyes had wandered too far down seemingly on their own accord, floated two towels from their hooks by the fresher door. He sighed as he gave one to Hux, wrapping the other towel around his waist. 

“Hux, this is Rey. Rey, may I present the General Hux. I do not believe you two have been formally introduced?”

Despite the roiling anger and confusion, Hux’s manners were rock solid. “How do you do. Now, young lady, as pleased as I am to make your acquaintance, I’m afraid I must ask you to please explain yourself. And you as well, my Lord. As you know I am responsible for the safety of this vessel, and indeed, per your orders, I hold some measure of control over the whole First Order, so I would request the honour and privilege of being briefed in regards of the current situation at your earliest convenience.”

Kylo grimaced and rubbed his face. He could foresee a long, strenuous evening in front of him. It had taken a lot of convincing to make Hux believe that he had not cheated on him with Rey. In hindsight it might have been not wise to omit the fact that the Force connection was still there and that they occasionally still had conversations but Hux could be – _intense_ when his possessive streak was left unchecked. It was nice talking to Rey, in a way, as a fellow Force user Kylo could communicate with her in a way he could not with Hux. Not that he’d ever leave Hux. Winning his trust had been a hard-earned prize and, well, in the wee hours of the night, when Hux was wrapped tightly around him soaking up his body heat and snoring softly, Kylo could almost allow himself to acknowledge the unnamed, odd feeling swelling in his chest.

“Hux….”

“No, please, Supreme Leader, I’m all ears. Please do tell me how a prominent member of the Resistance has found her way not only in our flagship, but in your private quarters? Is she a frequent visitor?”

“Hux...” Kylo would be dead before the day was done. Hux would strangle him with his bare hands, or beat him to death with the showerhead, or simply glare at him until his body short-circuited. Hux was almost vibrating with sheer rage, the angry red blotches on his pale cheeks giving him a slightly feverish look. Kylo grabbed him by his elbow and shoved him forward.

“Hux! She really is not here! We’re connected through the Force. Look!” He pointed at the patch of grass Rey was standing in, clearly not something to grow on the flooring of a star destroyer, no matter in whose quarters the flooring was. Hux looked at Rey’s feet, then stepped out of the shower to crouch down and wave his hand right through the green blades. He glared at his hand and made Rey flinch by waving it through her as well. 

“Please don’t do that again. It’s very disturbing,” Rey said, shuddering. Hux peered at her closely and she bent backwards. “Or that, either.”

“What are you doing here?” Hux straightened, folded his arms in his favourite parade rest position and assumed his best interrogating a prisoner – look.

“Um. Well. I was meditating, and sort of began to think how Ben was doing, and, well, here I am!” Rey’s smile lit up the room. Kylo hung his head at the use of his previous incarnation’s name. This would surely develop into yet another argument with Hux.

“Ben?”

“Yes, Ben.” Rey pointed at Kylo.

_“He is the Supreme Leader of the First Order, and you will address him as such!”_ Hux’s anger was well and truly boiling over.

“Hux…” Kylo was starting to feel like a broken record.

“What?” Hux wheeled around and fixed Kylo with a furious glare. “I will not have my Leader disrespected!”

“To me his name is Ben!” Rey had crossed her arms across her chest and was beginning to look every bit as angry as Hux.

“Hux, she will call me - _that_ no matter what. You’d better just accept it.” That was true. Kylo had tried threats, common sense, cajoling and in one humiliating instance begging, but Rey still insisted on calling him Ben. He had finally given up and tried his best to stamp down the spike of anger hearing that name always caused. 

The last remining blotches of colour were now draining from Hux’s face. He looked like he was about to have an aneurysm. “Do you mean that she can call you whatever she pleases but I will be thrown into walls and choked at your whim?” His voice was low and hoarse, and he was visibly trembling. 

“We’ve been through this already, Hux.” Kylo’s temper was beginning to fray, and it wouldn’t be long before he might do something irrevocably stupid and invite the General kindly to remember his place. He knew Hux would take that as an insult and also as an order. And since a General’s place would not be in his commanding officer’s bed, let alone in his shower, that would be the end of an extremely satisfactory arrangement. Also, Kylo could not entirely trust Hux not to stab him in the eye given sufficient motivation.

And then there was that decidedly odd feeling he associated with Hux. Which was probably why the thought of Hux ending their – _thing_ \- made his skin crawl and his chest ache.

“Why are you two showering together?” Rey must have picked on Kylo’s desperate clinging to his rapidly thinning patience and came to his rescue. Her face was now the very picture of innocent curiosity which didn’t fool Kylo at all. She always had a story to tell about the traitor and the pilot. It was enough to distract Hux, though.

“In order to conserve water aboard a star destroyer. What do you think?”

It was Rey’s turn to lean close and give Hux a proper inspection. She poked him with a finger, or would have poked had she been physically present, then narrowed her eyes at Kylo.

“I see you finally found yourself an apprentice.”

“What do you mean? I don’t have an apprentice.”

“What do you mean? Your General is Force-sensitive. Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed.” She shook her head, the smile turning into a delighted laughter. “You haven’t, you really haven’t noticed! Oh, Ben, are his other qualities so distracting that you haven’t seen _that?_ ”

“Ren, what is she talking about?” 

“You are Force-sensitive,” she shrugged. “Clear as day. Only a bit, but enough so that you can see me. Especially because Ben is here and you’ve, well, been, um, together.”

“I most certainly am not!” 

Kylo stalked out of the shower and approached Hux as if he was a skittish wild creature prone to run off at the first sight of a predator. He placed one hand on Hux’s temple, ignoring his indignant sputtering and took a hold of Hux’s hand with the other when the General attempted to swat him away. He focused. Rey was right. There was a thin, shimmering connection to the Force, elusive and tenuous and Kylo had to truly concentrate to feel it.

“Supreme Leader.”

Kylo pressed deeper. How had he not seen it before? Had Snoke known? Probably, but whatever power Hux possessed it was of no consequence, his true talents lay elsewhere. Still, this could prove to be useful.

_“Ren!”_

Yet Rey had sensed Hux’s hidden potential almost immediately. Curious. Was he so attuned to the General’s presence that he assumed all unusual tremors of the Force to be caused by his attraction to the redhead? She, never having properly met the man before, naturally could hone in on his Force-sensitivity, such as it was.

“For fuck’s sake, you lumbering beast, get your paws off of me!” Hux yanked his arm free and pushed Kylo back. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

Kylo let Hux go and turned to Rey. “You’re right. He has some form of sensitivity.”

“Told you so!” She tried not to look overly smug. “How have you not seen it before?”

“I don’t know. I mean, it’s not like he has any real power but still I should have sensed it earlier.”

“On the subject of previously unknown things, why haven’t you told me that you two are together?”

Hux raised his eyebrows at her. “Because it’s none of your business.” He paused and ran his hand across his face. His voice was low and even when he addressed Kylo again.

“Am I to understand that you two are in regular contact? You, the Supreme Leader of our empire, and the representative of the enemy forces? Without informing me? Or the rest of the High Command?”

Kylo looked down and shuffled his feet, slightly embarrassed. Rey, however, looked completely unabashed by the revelation.

“Okay. Okay.” Hux had a slightly wild look about him, he was looking around the room as if a reasonable explanation to everything could be found in the refresher fixtures. “Please tell me that you haven ‘t discussed of anything important with her. Or better yet, please tell me that you’ve at least tried to find out their location and plans? And I will absolutely not even consider your ridiculous suggestion that I might have anything to do with that Force of yours.”

“Of course he hasn’t divulged any of your secrets. You need to trust your Leader a bit more,” Rey sighed. “And trust me when I say that I haven’t told him anything that could harm us, either. Our chats are purely personal.”

“Personal. Fine. That’s fine. That’s just… that’s just perfect.”

Kylo stepped closer to Hux and tried to touch his arm, but Hux shied away and raised his hand in protest. “Don’t. Just don’t touch me right now.”

“Hux, she and I – we’re, frankly I don’t know what we are, but the connection Snoke set up never went away and we’ve met every now and then. Sometimes it helps, talking to her.”

“Helps.” Hux’s expression was just as flat as his voice. “It helps you. Excellent. Why don’t you two stay and help each other, then. I need air.” He stumbled out of the fresher, Kylo following close behind.

“Hux, listen –“

“No, you listen! What else are you keeping from me? Are you colluding with the rest of our enemies as well?” Hux had his back turned on Kylo. His shoulders were shaking with barely contained fury.  
“I am not colluding with anyone! Like we told you, our chats are purely personal!”

Hux wheeled around. He was well and truly furious as he strode to Kylo and poked his chest. “Yes, you said. And pray tell, what does that make me? Your fucktoy?”

“What are you on about?” Kylo felt his temper fraying by the second and took a deep breath to calm himself down. It didn’t help much. He put his hands on Hux’s shoulders and pushed back with enough force to make the smaller man take several stumbling steps backwards, almost losing his balance.

“What else do you do besides helping each other? Do you fuck her as well? Am I just a stress relief when she’s unavailable? Clearly what I have to offer is not enough to fulfill our glorious Leader’s needs –“ Hux ranted on and something broke inside Kylo. The darkness rose, creeping in from the corners of the room, coiling around them and urging Kylo to unleash its power and rend and destroy everything in sight.

It wasn’t like he felt before a battle. He felt exactly like he did before a massacre.

“Shut up,” he warned Hux. “Shut your mouth or I’ll shut it for you.”

“You wouldn’t dare. You raise a finger against me and I will fucking kill you.”

Kylo stared at Hux, chest heaving as he tried to rein in the trashing and wailing Force, the effort taking all of his strength. Raw power crackled at his fingertips and the furniture in his suite shook and trembled. 

“Ben, please calm down.” Rey had followed them and stood in in the doorframe, haloed by the bright fresher light. Kylo had just about enough time to wish she hadn’t before the spiking anger at the mention of his old name made him lose the last vestiges of control he had. His world turned black and red and silver-blue lightning and he barely registered the sounds of shattering furniture and the scream and the thud of a body hitting something solid.

The dark receded as quickly as it had risen. Kylo swayed on his feet, eyes watering, sucking in huge gulps of air. His skin felt raw, his lungs ached, and he almost fell on his knees at the sudden sense of withdrawal. His vision swam slowly back into focus, taking in the destruction laying at his feet.

And the pale, naked form of Hux slumped against the wall, blood flowing from a deep gash on his cheek. Kylo watched numbly as Hux fought his way back on his feet, searched for his clothes among the debris of the room and slowly, painfully got dressed. He felt nothing from the General, not anger, sorrow, betrayal, absolutely nothing. Somehow that was more terrifying than an outright declaration of fury and revenge.

Hux walked out of the room, and out of the suite without saying a word or looking at Kylo.

Rey was still standing behind him. He turned to look at her, daring her to say something. Instead she merely returned his furious scowl with a small smile, sadness tinging her eyes. Kylo focused on their connection and wrenched it violently until it broke. Rey vanished, leaving behind a lingering sense of hurt feelings and not a small amount of pain at the forcibly severed link. Kylo pursed his lips and set about methodically destroying everything that still was intact in his quarters.

******

It took three cycles before Kylo emerged from his rooms. He had not talked to Hux, and any messages he received from the General were sent by his aide. He had summoned droids to clean his rooms and fix whatever they could, the rest he had to either buy with his own money or find a way to requisition them without drawing too much attention to the Supreme Leader needing a new bed, mirrors and other miscellaneous creature comforts. Again.

He knew he had to face Hux sooner or later. His life seemed to go around in a stupid circle – it had been awkward enough after Snoke’s death and Crait, now he was once again in the same situation except this time he harboured no illusions that he would actually get away with hurting Hux again.

He had promised – no, he had _sworn_ he wouldn’t do that ever again.

It took him several attempts before he finally managed to leave his quarters and stride towards the bridge. He surmised that a neutral, public zone would be best for the first encounter with the General – Kylo was almost certain that Hux would not attempt murdering him in view of his bridge crew. Then again, Kylo would not put it past him to have roped the entire crew in on the plan. He might get stabbed after all.

And yet, despite his misgivings, he had to at least try to fix this. He missed Hux. Missed his presence, his buzzing mind, all the moments Kylo had succeeded in making him hum with satisfaction, the nights they spent together and even all the mind-numbingly boring budget and forward planning meetings Hux had made him sit through. He had thought it impossible for him to ever feel like this about anyone but there it was, the strange, undeniable ache suffusing his very core. 

His pace slowing down the closer he got to the bridge, Kylo had to summon all his determination to stride through the doorway, past the saluting rank and file, along the walkway to the viewport, to stand beside his General. He assumed a similar posture as Hux, grounding himself legs wide apart and hands clasped behind his back. So far, Hux had not acknowledged his presence at all. Kylo was acutely aware how the crew had drawn conclusions between the bruises around Hux’s eye and the wound on his cheek and the Supreme Leader’s recent behaviour. As if sharing a hivemind, the crew members had, one by one, come to the same conclusion – if it came to choosing a side, all of them would lay their lives down for Hux. 

Kylo wanted to apologise, to somehow convince Hux that he would not willingly hurt him again. He wanted Hux back on his side and in his bed. He wanted – he wanted to say so much but all that came out was: “Status report, General.”

Hux bowed his head, tapped on his datapad and began from the operational status of the Supremacy, detoured briefly to the financial and political side of the First Order operations, and ended with the most recent developments in tracking down the remains of the Resistance, thankfully not bringing up the missed opportunities Kylo had had in gathering information on the subject.  
Hux trailed into silence. Kylo, coming up with absolutely nothing else to say, nodded, turned on his heel and strode from the bridge. 

Another three cycles later, most of which Kylo had spent curled up on the mattress on the floor as the new bed hadn’t arrived yet, lights dimmed and datapad turned off, he felt a foot prodding the small of his back.

“All hail our glorious Leader. You smell.”

Kylo pulled his knees closer to his chest and willed Hux to walk away. He more felt than heard the General taking in the state of his rooms, picking up the few remaining items he still had left.

“At least turn on your datapad. There are several operations in standstill until we get your approval.”

Kylo held his hand up, and Hux sighed and grabbed his thumb to swipe it against the datapad’s fingerprint reader, and then, apparently, to use it to approve in Kylo’s stead whatever he deemed necessary. Kylo didn’t know if he had just agreed to repaint the whole fleet pink and yellow, or to wipe out an entire star system but he just couldn’t muster enough energy to care. Hux released his hand, and he pulled it close to his chest to save as much of the remaining warmth of the touch as he could.

Hux didn’t leave. Instead Kylo hear the rustle of clothes, the mattress dipped and then a warm body pressed against his back, a hand sneaking under his arm to grab a hold of his hand.

“Don’t think that I’ve forgiven you. Or that I ever will. You hurt me badly.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” Kylo had to force the words out, his mouth was too dry and operating the necessary muscles felt too difficult.

“I know you are.” Hux rested his head against Kylo’s shoulder. “But you broke your promise, couldn’t control yourself and I cannot trust you anymore.”

Kylo shimmied around, facing Hux, and twined his fingers in the General’s hair. He didn’t know if this would help but he had to try. Life without Hux would be unbearable, the weight of the thought so much that he couldn’t really wrap his brain around the possibility that he might have ruined everything in one stupid moment of anger. He pressed his forehead to Hux’s and closed his eyes. He felt the tiny sliver of Hux’s Force-connection pulsing with the rhythm of his heartbeat, brought it closer and latched onto it.

Hux gasped and struggled as Kylo poured himself open, laid _everything_ out for Hux to see, all his secrets and intentions, holding nothing back. Tears ran down his face and his breath hitched, the effort made his body shake as he held on for dear life. Hux’s hands squeezed his wrists hard enough to cause bruises, and he was shaking, too. Hux wrenched his head back and pulled Kylo’s fingers from his hair. He got up on unsteady feet and took a few staggering steps, leveling a finger at Kylo.

“What the _fuck_ did you just do?” He collapsed on his knees, holding his head in his hands. “Fuck, Ren, what was that?”

Kylo uncurled from the mattress and crawled to Hux on his hands and knees. He slumped down next to him and grabbed a hold of Hux’s waistband and tugged until the General lay down on top of him. He wrapped his arms around Hux and held on tightly.

“I wanted you to see. That you can trust me.” Whisper was the loudest he could manage right now.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Ren”

They were connected now. Kylo could feel Hux’s tentative prodding at the bond. He’d have to teach him and make him understand that from now on Kylo would hurt himself just as much as he would Hux, if it ever came to that. Right now, he was too tired, even his bones were aching and all he wanted to do was to breathe Hux in and maybe sleep for a week.

Gradually Hux relaxed and shifted into more comfortable position. A low hum began to fill the air around them, almost drowning out the sound of the ship’s engines.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This prompt was a gift that kept on giving :)
> 
> Hux's POV of the story. Please note the upgraded rating and tags.

Hux was sitting by his desk, jacket discarded, and suspenders pulled down from his shoulders. He had been there for several hours and his legs and bottom were getting numb despite the ergonomically optimal specially made chair he was proud to own. It had been expensive, and he had had to acquire the Supreme Leader’s permission to have it delivered. That had been a night he still remembered fondly.

And given the recent events, a memory would be all that he’d have, as he just could not bring himself to let Kylo close enough to touch him. It was a completely irrational feeling, he was well aware of that, as Kylo would probably not even be in the same room as Hux to inflict pain but still sometimes even the thought of being in the same room made him balk. Kylo had been unusually quiet and civil during the past weeks, restricting their communication to business only. He had mentioned that he’d want to teach Hux in the use of the Force, but since Hux was certain that he wouldn’t be able to levitate a toothpick he had brushed the offer aside as a colossal waste of time. 

The bond was still there, and Hux was slowly getting used to feeling Kylo’s presence in the back of his mind. He had, once or twice, tried to push into it to see what would happen. He had felt Kylo’s awareness of his attempts, a patient watchfulness and curiosity at Hux’s actions, and he had dropped the exercise. Kylo had explained that physically hurting Hux was impossible now because of the bond, and that Hux would be able to tell if Kylo was being deceitful or intent on harming Hux in any way. Hux remained skeptical.

Nevertheless, despite his misgivings, he had outlined the practical applications, possibilities, threats and future potential of the bond. Not only had he a list, in one sleepless night he had compiled several charts and a presentation on the subject.

All hidden behind several passwords and biometric passes, of course.

And no, he wouldn’t admit even under torture that his sleepless nights were in any way connected to the fact that he missed Kylo. Despite everything that had happened he missed the larger-than-life presence of the man, the feeling of his arms wrapping around him, the heat of his body and his kisses. Even the thought of Kylo’s tortured, hopeless expression in the face of the essential budget and forward planning meetings made his chest ache.

He just needed time. He thought that at least on some level now he understood how Kylo felt being pulled by the Light and the Dark; he ached to be in Kylo’s arms but at times he simply couldn’t bear the Supreme Leader’s presence.

Hux stretched his aching back and tried to concentrate on the work at hand. Snoke hadn’t exactly left behind a last will and testament and tracking down his wealth and assets was giving the First Order financial department a run for their money. Hux had noticed the predatory gleam in the eyes of some the younger and keener accountants when he tasked them to dig out Snoke’s hidden money and had promptly jotted down their names for future reference. So far, they had unearthed the rather surprising fact that the First Order owned, among other things, a fairly successful line of cosmetics and eveningwear. Money was money, Hux had thought, and any extra income would mean that much more leeway in his budget.

A chirp and a flash of orange fur heralded the arrival of Millicent. The cat arched her back and brushed against Hux’s legs, then jumped on the desk and flopped down on his datapad.

“Silly girl,” Hux admonished but scratched her chin anyway. Millicent’s purr almost vibrated the entire desk and her front paws kneaded the air. “I still have work to do. Are you hungry?”

“I bet she is. I didn’t know you had pets.”

Hux jumped up, his knees hitting the chair and toppling it over, reaching for his blaster which wasn’t strapped to his side but neatly put away as Hux had been laboring under the illusion that he’d be safe in his own quarters. Millicent jumped too and scrambled from the table at full speed, sending Hux’s datapad flying in the opposite direction. Rey looked mildly amused at the flurry of action her arrival had caused. She crouched down and extended her hand in Millicent’s direction. The cat eyed her warily from under the sofa, eventually approaching her and trying to sniff her fingers. 

“Rey. To what do I owe this pleasure?” Hux and bent down to pick up his chair, and then hunted for his datapad, hoping that it hadn’t been broken when it hit the floor. It hadn’t. Hux wiped Millicent’s footprints from the screen with his shirt sleeve and set it back down on the desk. Facing downwards, just in case.

“I got curious.” Rey smiled at Millicent’s attempts at headbutting her. “I noticed that you two had bonded, so I wanted to see if I could reach you through it. Turns out that I can.”

If ever there was a panic-inducing idea, this was it. Hux sat down and crossed his arms across his chest. “What, so now you can spy on me whenever you want?”

“Not exactly. I can’t see much of your surroundings, like you can’t see mine, and you should be able to sense my presence whenever the connection is made. And even if you missed me, Ben will know that I’m here. In fact, I think he’s on his way over as we speak.”

“The Supreme Leader, I think you’ll find.”

“Yeah, him too.”

A thought occurred to Hux and he leaned forward, frowning. “Does this mean that I can also contact you? Or does the link work only in one direction?”

Rey considered this for a moment. “I cannot tell. You’ll have to try and see what’ll happen.” She grinned suddenly, and the room seemed to brighten up slightly. “Don’t think that you’ll be able to glean any secrets, either. I’ll know if you are hovering in the same room, looking over my shoulder.”

Hux shook his head at that and got up to get himself a stiff drink. His life seemed to be taking turn after turn towards the strange. He savored the burn of the amber liquid and relished the soothing buzz it sent through his body. He raised his glass in mock salute at Rey. “I’d offer you one, but seeing that you aren’t really here...”

Rey rolled her eyes at him. She sat down on something, dangling her legs in the air. To Hux it looked like she was perching on nothing at all. He kept his gaze on her face to ward off the dizziness this caused. Rey was completely unperturbed and had the audacity to wink at Hux. “By the way, I’m glad to see you have calmed down from the last time we met.”

“Well, you must admit your appearance was a bit of a surprise.” Hux felt awkward standing up like a cadet being rebuked, so he sat down gingerly on the armrest of his sofa. He couldn’t help the corner of his mouth twitching upwards. “And I must confess I feel more comfortable entertaining guests while fully dressed.”

Rey’s blush was a sudden affair, spreading from her neck to her face like a rising sun. She couldn’t meet Hux’s eyes. 

“Yes. Lucky, lucky bastards, the pair of you,” she muttered quietly to herself, and it was Hux’s turn to embarrass himself by blushing. He coughed and took a mouthful from his glass searching for a topic to break the awkward silence. “Why do you insist on calling him Ben? You know he doesn’t like it.”

Rey gave a half-shrug. “There’s still Light in him. I have not given up hope that he’ll return home one day.”

“His home is here.”

“There are many ways to find your way back to where you belong. He holds the power over your Order, who knows where that might lead,” she winked at him again, and then grew serious. “I want this war to end.”

Hux raised his eyebrows and spread his arms. “As do I. Surrender.”

“Come on. You cannot expect the entire galaxy to bow down to your regime. People want to live their lives in freedom.”

Hux scoffed at that. “What people want is security and stability.”

“You cannot presume to know what people want!” She was getting angry, her blush had nothing to do with embarrassment.

“And you can?” Hux, too, was struggling to keep his voice even “Let’s see, I can actually provide you with statistics to prove how crime rates have plummeted within the systems we protect. It seems to me that the only ones disrupting the peace is your lot.”

“Protect? You steal _children_ to be soldiers! You who have destroyed star systems! I wouldn’t call that protecting!”

“Do you really think that your precious _Ben_ has no blood on his hands?” Hux slammed his tumbler on the table and shot up overcome with sudden rage. “Or your little friends? You’ve destroyed more lives than you can even imagine!”

They were now standing face to face, faces flushed with anger. Perhaps it was for the best that the door to Hux’s quarters burst open at that moment and Kylo stumbled in, out of breath and wild-eyed. He leaned his hands on his knees and took a few deep breaths. 

“Hux. Rey.” 

The pulled slowly apart, still keeping a wary eye on each other. 

“Supreme Leader.”

“Ben.”

“How did you get here, Rey? I felt you, but it was only Hux’s reaction that told me where you were.”

Rey looked pleased with herself at that. “Neat, huh? I figured it out when I was fixing an engine. All I had to do was to follow the bond.”

“Yes. What a lovely surprise,” Hux muttered, massaging his neck. 

Kylo regarded them both with his head tilted to the side. “I felt you had a, shall we say, _lively_ discussion. May I ask what it was about?”

Hux locked eyes with Rey, she was mirroring his expression of a getting caught hand in the figurative cookie jar. “You know. We’ve initiated peace negotiations.”

“Peace negotiations. Truly.”

“Yes.”

Kylo nodded slowly. “Any progress?”

“We’re at the early stages still.”

“I’m glad you weren’t actually killing each other.”

“Yes.”

There seemed to be very little to be said. Rey busied herself with a close inspection of the stitching on her sleeve, picking at a loose thread. Hux was saved by Millicent’s demands for attention. 

“So, Rey,” Kylo broke the silence, “tell me what you did to get to Hux.”

Hux tuned out of the conversation fairly quickly. He didn’t understand half of it, and the other half seemed to require a lot of gesticulating and staring into space and going “oh, I _see_.” He made his way to the kitchenette and filled Millicent’s bowl. He felt tired, and oddly hollow. Maybe there was some truth in the claim that there had to be a balance between the Light and the Dark Force. Be that as it may, it didn’t make Hux feel any less left out – or any less inclined to drop the entirety of the First Order fleet’s payload on top of the first Resistance base they came across. He stroked Millicent’s back as she ate. Some things, thankfully, stayed constant.

He returned to the living room to find the impromptu lesson petering out, Rey saying her goodbyes. Hux exchanged a curt “goodnight” with her and waited for her to take her leave.

She touched Kylo’s shoulder lightly. “I wish you’d come home, Ben.”

Kylo drew in a deep breath and turned to face her Rey. Hux watched, transfixed, as he trailed one thumb down her cheek. “My name is not Ben,” he told her softly.

He smiled at her, squeezed her shoulder and turning his back to Rey walked over to Hux. Sending a wordless plea through the bond he put his hands on Hux’s shoulders, then slid them down his sides and wrapped them around the General’s waist. He pressed a light kiss on Hux’s temple, then rested his forehead on Hux’s head. Hux found his arm sneaking around Kylo’s back to return the embrace, the kiss still burning on his skin.

“And I am home, Rey.”

Rey wavered and vanished, leaving Kylo and Hux in uncomfortable silence. Hux pushed free from Kylo’s arms and returned to his perch on the armrest, picking up his neglected drink. He watched Kylo ambling around the room, picking up things and putting them back again after a cursory inspection. He could feel Kylo’s apprehension and nervousness, tinged with something impossible.

_Fear._

Kylo was afraid. Hux breathed in and ran his tongue across his lips. This was something new. He drained his glass and straightening his hair and summoning all of his resolve walked over to the larger man. Once again, his hand seemed to move on its own will and Hux watched as it made its way all the way up to the nape of Kylo’s neck and pulled downwards, somehow his chin moving up at the same time, causing their lips to meet at the halfway mark. Kylo returned the almost chaste kiss but did nothing to touch Hux. Only when Hux deepened the kiss, stepping closer still and lifting his other hand to rest on Kylo’s shoulder did he place his large hands on the small of Hux’s back.

So carefully, so very, very carefully as if Hux was made of glass.

Hux leaned even closer still, pressing himself against Kylo, drinking his fill of the feeling of man’s large body and his scent, deciding against all common sense to give in to the desire. He broke the kiss, put both of his hands on Kylo’s shoulders and pushed until he had his Supreme Leader backed up against a wall. He pressed his finger on Kylo’s lips when he opened his mouth to say something and sunk his teeth in his neck.

Kylo stayed silent and still, letting out only the occasional grunt and hiss at Hux’s ministrations. He had put his hand behind his back to keep them in place and only moved to crane his neck to give Hux more freedom of movement. Hux sucked and bit, licked the few droplets of blood he had managed to draw and drew back to nod with satisfaction. The mark would be visible unless Kylo had an extra helmet stashed somewhere. The Supreme Leader would know without doubt where and to whom he belonged.

“Hux...” Kylo was looking at him, flushed and lips parted, blinking as if to ward off tears. Hux shook his head in warning, pressed a quick kiss on Kylo’s lips, and unclasped his belt. One by one he opened the buttons of his tunic, huffing in annoyance at the sight of the black undershirt. He fully understood the importance of layers, but there were times when they were nothing but an unnecessary hindrance. He slid his hands under the sleeveless top, reveling in the feeling of skin on skin. Hux had to nudge Kylo a few times before he returned to his senses for long enough to raise his arms above his head to allow for the undershirt to be removed and tossed aside. Hux indulged himself and bit Kylo’s earlobe, blew gently in his ear and almost laughed at the violent squirm this caused.

He worked his way downwards, leaving more bite marks to mark his route, falling to his knees before Kylo. He tugged at the waistband of Kylo’s trousers, pulling his hips forward and nuzzling at his crotch. The scent here was heady, and like a drowning man Hux filled his lungs with it. His fingers fumbled with the closure of Kylo’s trousers finally managing to yank them down enough to expose Kylo’s cock. Hux couldn’t hold back the intake of breath at the sight of it. He closed his eyes, wrapped his hands around Kylo’s hips and pressed his face against it. His moment of reverie was interrupted by Kylo hesitantly running his fingers through his hair, coming to rest at the back of his head. Hux drew his head back with a hiss.

“No. Not yet.”

He grabbed Kylo’s wrists and pinned his hands to the wall. He looked up to see Kylo looking back at him, pupils dilated and breathing raggedly. The look in his eyes was as intense as on the battlefield, his entire attention focused on Hux. His hands were balled into fists, but he made no attempt of freeing them from Hux’s grip. In slow, deliberate movement Hux licked his lips, turned his gaze back on Kylo’s cock and ran his tongue along the length of it. He suckled the very tip, then dove in to take as much of it in his mouth as he could. The shuddering moan Kylo let out made Hux moan in response. He let go of one of Kylo’s wrists to wrap his fingers around the base of his cock, stroking it in time of his bobbing head. He had meant to take his time, to make Kylo beg and maybe leave him just this side of orgasm but he had waited for so long. Too long. The need for release, both for himself and for Kylo became almost unbearable.

Kylo was prodding gently at their bond, and in another burst of irrationality Hux allowed him in. The wave of pleasure, affection and adoration he received was overwhelming. He buckled down, hugging Kylo’s knees and pulling the Supreme Leader down with him to lay on the hard floor. They clung to each other in crushing embrace until Hux regained some composure and attempted to resume his blow job.

“No. Please, let me. Hux. Please.” Kylo shifted, reeling Hux in for a heady kiss. His hand was already cupping Hux, pressing against his aching length and squeezing hard enough to make him squirm and rut in search of more friction. Deft fingers made short work of opening his trousers and soon Kylo had them both wrapped in his large hand. Hux felt Kylo’s mounting pleasure through the Force-bond, and he tried to add his own to it. Kylo’s sudden gasp and shudder told him that he was at least somewhat successful, and he kept pushing the sensation to Kylo until he tipped over the edge to his orgasm. The feedback from that sent Hux coming so hard he almost passed out.

Well. He had not thought to cover this in his assessment of the practical applications of their bond.

They lay there entangled to each other until Millicent sauntered over to investigate the unusual state of her human. She sniffed them from a distance, gracefully headbutted Kylo and settled down to wash herself. Hux took the hint. 

“Come on, we need a shower.” His limbs were not entirely under his control as he extracted himself from Kylo’s clutches and stood up on shaky legs. “Get up. You can’t stay there.”

“I don’t see why not. I am the Supreme Leader.”

“You’ll stink up the place, and besides, I want you in my bed.”

Kylo began to rise upon hearing that. “Really?”

“Really.” Hux couldn’t help himself. Kylo was just _there_ , warm and relaxed, although a bit unsteady. He bent down for a thorough kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hux forgives the man who tossed him to walls and choked him, that's a sign of an unhealthy relationship if ever there was one, Force bond or not.
> 
> Also, I resolutely stand by my claim that cats can see Force apparitions.


End file.
